7 Proven Strategies to Finally Finish Your Tracks
- finishing tracks
- producer tips
- echio
- music production
- creative process
- music workflow
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
If there's one challenge that unites music producers across all genres and skill levels, it's the struggle to finish tracks. That folder of half-completed projects sitting on your hard drive isn't just your burden—it's an almost universal experience in the music production community.
At Echio, we've worked with thousands of producers who come to our professional artists for feedback, and the most common frustration we hear is: "I can't seem to finish my tracks." The good news? This is a solvable problem with the right strategies and mindset shifts.
In this article, we'll explore seven proven strategies to help you cross that finish line and transform your ideas into completed tracks ready for the world to hear.
Why Finishing Tracks Is So Difficult
Before diving into solutions, it's worth understanding why finishing tracks is such a common struggle:
- The Perfectionism Trap: The relentless pursuit of perfection often leads to endless tweaking without progress.
- Decision Fatigue: Each track requires hundreds of small decisions, which becomes mentally exhausting.
- The Excitement Curve: The initial creative spark is exciting, but the detailed work of finishing feels tedious.
- Technical Roadblocks: Specific production challenges (mixing, arranging, etc.) can create frustrating bottlenecks.
- Fear of Completion: Finishing means opening yourself to judgment, which can trigger creative anxiety.
Now, let's explore the strategies that can help you overcome these challenges.
Strategy 1 : ⏰ Set Concrete Deadlines
The infinite canvas of digital music production can be both liberating and paralyzing. Without constraints, projects can extend indefinitely.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Give yourself a specific date to complete each track
- Break the deadline into smaller milestones (arrangement by Tuesday, mixing by Friday, etc.)
- Share your deadline with someone who will hold you accountable
- Consider submitting to remix contests or compilation deadlines to create external pressure
Pro tip : Many successful producers we work with at Echio set a two-week maximum timeline for each track. Even if it's not perfect by then, they commit to moving on.
Strategy 2 : 🍷 Embrace the "70% Rule"
Perfection is the enemy of done. Many professional producers live by what we call the "70% Rule"—when a track reaches about 70% of your vision, it's time to wrap it up.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Recognize that the final 30% of "perfection" often takes more time than the first 70% of progress
- Accept that listeners rarely notice the small details that consume hours of your time
- Focus on capturing the core emotion and energy of the track rather than technical perfection
- Remember that finishing ten "70% tracks" teaches you more than endlessly tweaking one track
"I used to spend months on tracks trying to make them perfect. Now I aim for 'good enough' and move on. Ironically, my music has improved dramatically since adopting this approach." — JoN808 (Echio user)
Strategy 3 : 💾 Create a Finishing Template
Many production bottlenecks occur at the same stages for each track. Creating a standardized process can help you push through these common sticking points.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Document your ideal track completion workflow from start to finish
- Create a checklist of essential elements for a "complete" track in your genre
- Develop templates for common arrangements in your style
- Prepare go-to solutions for typical roadblocks (e.g., standard transition effects, arrangement patterns)
Pro tip : In your DAW, save a template project that includes your typical finishing elements—bus processing, master chain, reference tracks, and arrangement markers.
Strategy 4 : 🧠 Separate Creation from Editing
The creative brain and the analytical brain often conflict. Trying to be simultaneously creative and critical usually results in neither mode working effectively.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Divide your production sessions into distinct "creation" and "editing" modes
- During creation sessions, focus on quantity and flow—no critical judgment allowed
- Schedule separate editing sessions where you refine and structure your ideas
- Consider working on creation in the morning and editing in the afternoon (or vice versa)
"I now produce in 3-day cycles: day 1 is pure creation and experimentation, day 2 is arrangement and structure, day 3 is mixing and finalizing. My completion rate has tripled." — LagLog (Echio user)
Strategy 5 : 💿 Use Reference Tracks
Reference tracks provide a roadmap when you're lost in the details of your production.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Select 2-3 professionally produced tracks in a similar style to your project
- Analyze their structure, energy flow, and arrangement techniques
- Use them as a template for completing your arrangement when stuck
- Compare your mix progress against these references at regular intervals
Pro tip : Create a dedicated reference playlist for each project, and listen to it before each production session to calibrate your ears and vision.
Strategy 6 : 👂🏼 The "Fresh Ears" Technique
Ear fatigue and overfamiliarity with your track can make it impossible to make good decisions, leading to endless tweaking.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Enforce regular breaks during production sessions (e.g., 10 minutes every hour)
- After completing a draft, step away for at least 24 hours before final decisions
- Listen on different systems (studio monitors, earbuds while walking, car speakers) to gain perspective
- Create a "morning test"—if the track sounds good first thing in the morning with fresh ears, it's probably ready
"The 'morning test' has saved me countless hours. If I wake up, listen to yesterday's work, and it sounds good, I know I'm on the right track. If not, I know exactly what needs fixing." — Joakim (producer)
Strategy 7 : 😎 Get Professional Feedback
Perhaps the most powerful strategy is knowing when and how to get outside perspective on your work.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY :
- Seek feedback at specific stages : early rough demo to validate ideas, testing your arrangement, when you have a first mix...
- Be specific about what feedback you need (e.g., "Does the arrangement flow?" rather than "What do you think?")
- Use feedback as actionable information, not validation
- Repeat until you get to a finished track
At Echio, we've found that producers who get feedback from professional artists at the right moment in their process are significantly more likely to complete their tracks. The external perspective breaks through creative blocks and provides clear direction for completion.
Putting It All Together : Your Track Completion System
The most effective approach combines elements from all these strategies into a personalized system:
1. Plan : Set a deadline and create a completion roadmap
2. Create : Generate ideas in a judgment-free creative session
3. Arrange : Use reference tracks to guide your arrangement and mixing decisions
4. Step Away : Give your ears a break before critical decisions
5. Refine : Apply the 70% rule to avoid perfectionism
6. Get Feedback : Seek professional perspective at the right moment
7. Finalize : Complete the track with a focus on the core emotion, not technical perfection
Conclusion : Finishing Is a Skill You Can Master
Completing tracks is not just about talent or technical knowledge—it's a distinct skill that improves with practice and intentional strategy. By implementing these seven approaches, you'll not only finish more music but also experience the profound satisfaction that comes from sharing your completed creative vision with the world.
Remember that every finished track, regardless of its perceived quality, represents growth in your production journey. The producer with 50 completed tracks—even if they're not all masterpieces—will invariably develop faster than the producer with two "perfect" tracks and dozens of unfinished projects.